Oak Ridge Today

Obituary: Mitchell Jerry Davis

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Mitchell Jerry Davis

Mitchell Jerry Davis

Mitchell Jerry Davis, age 57, of Clinton, passed away Tuesday, December 16, at Methodist Medical Center.

He was born April 13, 1957, in Oliver Springs, the son of Charles Perry Davis and Louise Echols Davis.

Mr. Davis was the owner of Davis Dry Wall. He enjoyed spending time with his family and particularly his grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers, Harold, Clifford, Kenny, Dale, Jack, Ronnie and Dennis and sister, Glenda. [Read more…]

Obituary: Ruth Slusher

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Ruth Slusher passed away Friday, December 5.

She was born in Pineville, Kentucky, in 1925. She was later a resident of Rhea County, where she owned a home on Watts Barr Lake and also in Oak Ridge.

She was predeceased by her father, Otis Violet Slusher, and mother, Nancy Samples Slucher; and sisters, Mary Hale, Rose Montgomery, Sarah Jordan, and Cordelia Shepherd.

She is survived by her husband, Grimes Slaughter, and many nieces and nephews, including special nephew, Mark Jordan of Wilmington, North Carolina. [Read more…]

Obituary: J.D. Campbell

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J. D. Campbell, age 87, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Friday, December 12, at Methodist Medical Center.

Mr. Campbell was born October 18, 1927, in the Wheat Community in Roane County. He lived in Georgia for several years; however, he has lived most of his life in Oliver Springs.

J.D. was retired from the construction business. He enjoyed spending time outdoors and gardening.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph A. Campbell and Lucy Turpin Campbell; by a son, Sammy Campbell; by a daughter, Phyllis Campbell; by a sister, Ruth Rutherford; and by brothers, Calvin, Kenneth, and Clyde Campbell. [Read more…]

Obituary: Jack Stanley Long

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Jack Stanley Long

Jack Stanley Long

Jack Stanley Long, age 80, of Oak Ridge passed away Saturday, December 13, at Maple Court in Powell from complications of dementia.

He was born April 23, 1934, in Knoxville, the son of Ada Brown and Theodore Roosevelt Long. He served his country for two years in the U.S. Army.

Mr. Long retired from Lockheed Martin, where he was a painter at the Y-12 plant for 28 years. He was a member of the International Union Painters Allied Trades (IUPAT), Local #1805.

He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church. Mr. Long was a self-taught artist and excelled in drawing portraits in pastels. He also enjoyed building and remodeling his home. He loved the outdoors and spent a lot of his free time fishing, hunting, and flower gardening. [Read more…]

Obituary: Timothy E. Myrick

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Tim Myrick

Tim Myrick

Timothy E. Myrick died peacefully at the age of 60 on Sunday, December 14, 2014, at his home in Powell after a year-and-a-half battle with cancer. An engineer who had worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and SAIC, he was well known in Oak Ridge as an award-winning, model community leader and volunteer. Many also called him a teacher and friend.

He and his wife Teresa were honored on April 29, 2014, for their “lifetime of commitment to the people of Oak Ridge and Anderson County.” He was recognized as the only volunteer who helped construct each of the 59 homes built by Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County since its inception in 1992.

At the time, a successful fundraising campaign had been launched to support the construction of a 59th house in Myricks’ honor. The new Honorary Myrick Build is located in Heiskell, not far from the Myricks’ farm, where they had grown Christmas trees that they donated to the American Cancer Society for fundraising and to the Holiday Bureau.

A few weeks ago, Myrick received the Bill Wilcox Bow Tie award from Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties to honor him as “community leader, volunteer, teacher, husband, and friend.” Myrick was on the ADFAC board for 12 years and served as its president for 10. He also helped craft a long-range plan for ADFAC and provided matching funds for a house build. [Read more…]

Obituary: Thomas Stephen ‘T.S.’ Thrasher

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Thomas Stephen "T.S." Thrasher

Thomas Stephen “T.S.” Thrasher

Thomas Stephen “T.S.” Thrasher Jr., age 29, blessed this world on July 5, 1985, and was devastatingly taken from us on December 8, 2014, to share his bright light with his Savior Jesus Christ.

T.S. was dedicated to God as an infant at Fountain City Presbyterian Church in Knoxville. T.S. spent his childhood and the majority of his adult life residing in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

T.S. began developing a strong work ethic at the age of 12, as evidenced by his first job delivering two paper routes at The Oak Ridger.

T.S. was the best brother in the whole world and was especially a champion for his sister Grace. He had a close and unique relationship with each of his brothers and sisters.

T.S. attended Oak Ridge High School and earned his diploma in 2003. He had just completed his final examinations at Pellissippi State University majoring, ironically, in criminal justice. He had completed all scholastic requirements and was to graduate in January 2015 with honors. [Read more…]

Remembered as a model community volunteer, Myrick died Sunday

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Tim and Teresa Myrick with ADFAC Bow Tie Award

Tim Myrick, left, received the 2014 Bill Wilcox Bow Tie Award from ADFAC on Oct. 30. Pictured with Myrick at Y-12’s New Hope Center is his wife Teresa. (Photo courtesy ADFAC)

Note: This story was last updated at 3:30 p.m.

Tim Myrick, one of the area’s most active community volunteers, died Sunday morning. He was at home with his wife Teresa by his side.

Friends are remembering him as a model community leader and volunteer. Myrick, who had been battling prostate cancer, had provided decades of service to the church and to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, as well as to Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County. He played a key role in the renovation of Oak Ridge High School and modernization work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In 2012, he and Teresa pledged $25,000 to the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation’s “Making the Critical Difference” campaign for grants and scholarships.

“We sure lost a strong advocate for our community,” said friend D. Ray Smith, who serves on both the ADFAC and Habitat for Humanity boards. [Read more…]

Obituary: Ether ‘E.B’ Phillips Jr.

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Ether “E.B.” Phillips Jr., age 62, of Clinton, passed away Tuesday, December 9, at Golden Living Center–Windwood.

E.B. enjoyed spending time with his grandkids, fishing, cooking, and gardening. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ether and Pauline Phillips, and daughter, Kimberly Phillips.

E.B. is survived by daughters, Heather Duncan and husband Chris, and Jennifer “Nikki” Phillips, all of Clinton, and Destin Phillips of Powell; Calvin and Wendy Harness and family, and Manny Johnson, whom he considered like his own sons; sisters, Evelyn Powers, Betty Haggard and husband Danny, Mary Thomas and husband Johnny, Martha Powers and husband Wayne, Doris Conaster, and Patsy Weaver and husband Mike, all of Clinton; and grandchildren, Carissa, Cassie, Alyssa, Micheal, Sonya, and Kim; as well as many other relatives and friends. [Read more…]

Obituary: Jeffrey David Crouse

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Jeffrey David Crouse

Jeffrey David Crouse

Jeffrey David Crouse, age 56, of Knoxville, passed away Monday, December 8, at his home.

He was born July 9, 1958, in Oak Ridge, the son of David Jones Crouse and Jean Johnson Crouse, who are both deceased.

Jeffrey graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1976 and received his bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in transportation, from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. After graduation, he worked for many years as a regional transportation manager for ConAgra Foods Inc., serving in Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; and Houston, Texas. [Read more…]

Obituary: William T. Donath Jr.

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Bill Donath

William T. Donath Jr.

William T. Donath Jr., son of Gladys and William Donath Sr., died at his Oak Ridge, Tennessee, home November 28 at age 93 after a long illness. His parents and brother Bobbie preceded him in death.

Billy enlisted in the Army Air Corps for service in World War II (1941-1945). He was a veteran of the North Africa campaign and the invasion of Italy.

Bill was a loving and beloved husband, father, and grandfather, as well as son and brother. He was a favorite teacher of math at Miami Beach and Coral Park high schools, dedicated tinkerer, junk collector, poet, pilot, puzzler, and Golden Glove boxer. He crossed the country on two wheels.  He pledged Kappa Sigma at the University of Miami.

Bill was an intrepid deep-sea diver and a real-life treasure hunter who scoured nautical maps for wrecks off the South Florida coast. He resided in Miami for 50 years, where he found his most beloved treasure, Carol Ann. He modeled how to treat people—with kindness, respect, and well-grounded humility.He expected goodness in every person he met, and most times, he found it. Occasionally bull-headed, always approachable, and entirely huggable. [Read more…]

Obituary: William Thomas Sylvia

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William Thomas Sylvia

William Thomas Sylvia

William Thomas Sylvia, age 79, a resident of Oliver Springs, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, December 5, at Methodist Medical Center.

Mr. Sylvia was born April 16, 1935, in Harriman. Following his high school graduation, he entered into the United States Army, and he served his country during the Korean Conflict.

In 1961, he and his wife moved to Oliver Springs. After living in Colorado for six years, he moved back to Oliver Springs, where he has continued to live.

William retired from the U.S. Department Of Energy in 1995, following 25 years of service as an HVAC technician.  [Read more…]

Obituary: Darrell Tecumsch McBroom

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Darrell Tecumsch McBroom, age 82, of Oak Ridge, passed away on Monday, December 8, in Oak Ridge.

He was preceded in death by his parents Fielden and Eunice McBroom, a sister Evelyn, and two brothers Denver and Bill.

Darrell is survived by Wilma, his wife of 65 years; his sons Dale McBroom of Oak Ridge, David and Cathy (Olsen) McBroom, Danny and Connie (Thompson) McBroom, Dennis and Terri (Nilles) McBroom, all of Kent, Washington, Dwayne McBroom of Swainsboro, Georgia, and Darren and Robin (Oody) of Harriman, Tennessee; his sisters Betty, Lena, and Pat, all of Missouri; and 19 grandchildren and 45 great-grandchildren. [Read more…]